Forbidden (In-Complete) (Multi-Chaptered-Klaine)
by SearchingForOurFaultedStars
Summary: It's November 1939, Frankfurt, Germany. Kurt and Blaine meet by chance, a totally unexpected encounter. They slowly fall in love, but their relationship is forbidden. They could be deported if they get caught; Kurt is German and Blaine is Jewish. They're both boys. Will they find the strength to stay together, or will the war tear them apart?
1. Chapter 1

**Frankfurt, Germany- November 1939**

**~KURT~**

"_Die Jüdische Frage"_

Kurt stared at the gold lettering on the front of his textbook letting his eyes follow the curve and twist of each letter.

"_The Jewish Question" _

His instructor had given each student in class the same book that morning. They were to start reading the first chapter and take notes. It was time they learned about the vermin of their society and what they could do to eradicate them, their instructor had said.

"But why though? They haven't done anything wrong." Kurt questioned.

Kurt's stepmother had wondered why he had come home with a purple bruise stretching across his cheek.

Each student had also been issued a package, which contained their uniform that consisted of a khaki longed-sleeved shirt and black tie, and black dress pants complete with a standard military hat. _The Hitler Youth _they were called. They tried to disguise what they were doing with a certain amount of professionalism, but Kurt knew what it really was. Brainwashing. The Third Reich wanted to form the younger generation so that they might follow in their footsteps in the future.

It was scary, Kurt thought. How the opinions and ideologies of one man could spread across an entire nation and beyond. Since Hitler had been appointed chancellor, everything had changed dramatically. Though the general population had been excited for his new regime in the beginning, it was not so much anymore. No matter how bright the sky was, no matter how much of a good mood you were in, no matter how much money you had, there was always an underlying tension hanging in the air.

Kurt missed the way things had been before when one could walk freely down the street without seeing army officers strolling along or hearing the loud rumble of airplanes flying overhead. Nowadays, there was a curfew. There were also food rations being given to every household since the beginning of the war. Innocent civilians were being evacuated from their homes and deported. It had happened to Kurt's friends. He was walking to their house so that he might be able to spend time with them, as he did almost everyday. But Jake and Noah were gone, their house left wide open with people walking in and out, carrying away their belongings. Kurt walked into their home and looked through all the rooms, remembering all the joyful times he had spent here, remembering the happiness that always seemed to be present in this house. He thought that if he looked hard enough, he might be able to find them, hiding in a corner playing hide-and-go-seek as they had when they were younger. But the house was only empty now, except for the few stragglers that were taking what was left of the Puckermans family belongings.

Kurt ran away and cried into his pillow that night, knowing that he might never see Jake and Noah again, knowing that things would never be the same.

Kurt was also scared for his own life. Not only was it Jewish people that were being taken away, but anyone that was considered too different; the mentally disabled, gypsies, those who were black, and homosexuals.

From a young age, Kurt knew that he liked boys. It was never a sudden realization, just something that he had always subliminally known. He had never taken an interest in girls and never bragged about his crushes to his friends. He would observe his love interests from afar, knowing that the feeling would never be mutual. When Kurt told his family, his father Burt, stepmother Carole, and stepbrother Finn, they held him close.

"We love you so much, Kurt," they told him. And they really did, but they knew that society would not.

It made Kurt sad to think that he could never get married, never have children. It made him sad to think that he might possibly be spending the rest of his life alone.

Sometimes Kurt wondered what his mother would say. She had died when he was ten years old. If he thought very hard, he could still see the beautiful details that made up her perfect face. He could still remember her soft and warm laugh and the personality that made everyone like her. She would be accepting, Kurt thought, or at least he hoped she would.

His friends from school also knew. Artie and Sam were the closest to him, ever since Jake and Noah had disappeared. They were always with Kurt, doing everything they could to protect him. Although Kurt appreciated them, he knew they would never be able to take away the fear that was always present within him.

"Are…are you sure about this?" asked Sam, when Kurt had first told them.

"Yes. I've always known. Just remember to keep it a secret."

"Of course, Kurt" said Artie, with a sad voice.

Other than Artie, Sam, and his family, Kurt's sexuality was something that he kept to himself. Kurt knew that hundreds of people were being deported from the city everyday. Kurt didn't know where, but he knew he didn't want to be among them.

Glancing out his bedroom window, Kurt became horrified at the scene on the street below. A man, holding nothing more than a small suitcase, was being forced out of his house by an officer. The man had a band wrapped around his upper arm, with the Star of David on it. A woman who Kurt guessed must have been his wife, was screaming and crying, yelling his name, reaching out for her husband while being held back by another officer. The thing that shocked Kurt the most was the calm look on the man's face, almost as if he had consented to what was happening and had already accepted his fate. He was led into a truck, which was filled to the brim with several other men.

Although Kurt wished he could stop what was happening, he was glad he wasn't one of them. As the truck drove down the street, Kurt watched, seeing the man that was staring longingly at his home, at his wife attempting to run after the truck. Kurt watched until the truck turned around the corner.

Kurt was still young, only fourteen years old. During wartime, the one thing that a person wants the most is to stay alive.

**~BLAINE~**

Blaine sat in the plush chair in the living room, across from his mother. He watched as the sewing needle threaded its way in and out of the fabric, stitching the gold star onto the front of his coat.

"_Jude" _itread, in bold, black letters.

Jew. Why was that such a bad thing?

"Do I really have to wear that, mother?"

"Yes, Blaine."

"Why?"

"Because we have to. It's the rules"

It was one of the several strange rules that had been put into place in the last few months. That and not being able to use public recreational facilities, not being allowed to own a radio, only allowed to go into Jewish stories, not being allowed to own a business, not being allowed to use public transport, and having an even tighter curfew than the rest of the city, were just some of the things that had been added to the list.

Blaine was afraid of doing anything anymore for fear of getting caught.

"It's best to stay off the streets." his father had told him.

Snow had begun to fall lightly the night before and a thick blanket of it covered their apartment balcony. It was too cold to be outside anyway, Blaine thought.

Even if the whether was warmer, Blaine would have preferred to stay inside within the confines of his own home. It was too great a risk to go outside alone. There were constantly officers patrolling the streets, looking for any reason to take someone away, particularly if they were Jewish.

They still left the house, but only on days like today, when it was absolutely necessary. Despite the fact that there was a war going on, education was still one of the first things on Blaine's list of priorities. After the rules had been passed as laws, Blaine had had to transfer over from the regular public school to Dalton Academy, which was a school for Jewish boys. It would be horrible leaving behind all his friends, those he had grown up with since he was a young child, but at least he would be around his own kind, especially since they were all boys.

Blaine was always quite popular at the public school that he had previously attended. He made many friends and all the teachers knew who he was. The girls who attended that school seemed to gravitate towards him as well, but Blaine never took any interest in them. None of them ever caught his eye.

Blaine was only interested in other boys.

It was something that no one else knew, not even his own parents, except for his brother Cooper. Blaine was thankful he had someone like Cooper in his life, who was there to guide and protect him, even if no one else would. Cooper understood that Blaine couldn't change who he was, even if he wanted too. He understood that it wasn't some sort of illness or infection. Cooper understood that it wasn't a choice; it was part of who Blaine was.

"I'll love you always, little brother." Cooper had said once.

Blaine hoped that that was still true, because he needed his older brother now more than ever.

As his mother finished sewing the star onto the coat, Blaine couldn't help but think how his mother would react if he told her that he was gay. Would she still love her younger son? Or would she turn away, as Blaine his knew his father would. Sometimes, Blaine wished that everyone were thought of as equal, that there was no one who was at a higher level of superiority. It would make the world a much nicer place.

"All done, darling." said his mother.

Blaine stood up and straightened his tie and smoothed out his navy blue blazer, the standard uniform of Dalton Academy. He took his black coat from his mother and buttoned it up, inspecting himself in the hallway mirror. Everything was in place, from his black shoes and navy blue pants, to his slick gelled down hair. Blaine wanted to make a good impression when he walked in those school doors. Although he wasn't keen on attending this school, he was determined to make the best of it.

Cooper came up behind him; wearing the same uniform as Blaine and making sure that his yellow star was pinned to the front of his coat as well. Both boys made sure that they had their identification cards in their pockets. The consequences would be harsh if they didn't.

"Have a good day. Stay together please." their mother said.

She pressed a kiss to both of their foreheads, hugging both boys close. In times like these, you never knew when you were going to see your family members again and it was always important to treasure them so.

So together, Cooper and Blaine left the apartment building and began walking to school, their tan colored satchels slung over each their shoulders. Though it was cold outside, they were forced to walk. Streetcars were forbidden to those who were Jewish.

From afar, Blaine and Cooper saw an officer approaching and they readied their identification cards.

"Stay calm, little brother. Nothing will happen if you just stay calm."

"I know."

After suffering extreme scrutiny from the officer, who spat on their identification cards and eyed their yellow stars suspiciously, Blaine and Cooper continued on their way to school.

As they walked down the mostly empty street, it was quite early in the morning; they passed by a group of boys, also dressed in school uniforms, waiting on the side of the street for the streetcar to come.

_Those must be them, _thought Blaine.

They were all dressed similarly with a noticeable swastika on a band that each of them wore around their arms. Blaine had heard of these adolescents, the same age as himself. They were often called the "Hitler Youth".

The group of boys yelled at them and kicked snow and threw rocks their way as Cooper and Blaine walked past.

Blaine could feel the tears stinging his eyes.

Cooper put his arm over Blaine's shoulder and said, "Keep walking. Don't look at them or respond. It'll give them all the more reason to come after us."

So Blaine did what his older brother told him to do and continued to stare at the ground until they reached the school.

Both boys separated from each other as each went to their respective classrooms.

"Remember to wait for me at the front doors. Don't go anywhere by yourself." Cooper instructed Blaine.

"_Ja, bruder." _said Blaine.

"Yes, brother."

**~KURT~**

_Ficken. _

Fuck. Why is it so cold? It's not even December yet, Kurt thought. He observed the foggy breath that emitted from his mouth as he waited with his classmates for the streetcar to arrive. He was standing next to Artie and Sam as all three boys huddled together, attempting to create warmth between them. The other boys were chatting enthusiastically about the upcoming day, while Kurt, Artie, and Sam remained quiet. The three boys never shared the opinions of the instructors and never agreed with what they were being taught, but dared not speak against them. It was too dangerous.

"_Wo ist die Straßenbahn_?" asked Artie.

"Where is the streetcar?"

"Running a little late. Maybe one of the new requirements is that we freeze our asses off as well." said Sam.

The three boys chuckled, grateful for the joke, which was something that was rare nowadays.

As they were talking to each other, they heard jeering and laughs from the other boys and so they look over to see what could possibly be so funny.

Their classmates were calling out names and kicking snow and dirt to two other boys that were walking by on the street. Kurt noticed that both of them had yellow stars sewn to the front of their jackets. So that was why.

Sam, Artie, and Kurt stayed quiet and averted their eyes to the ground, wishing they could help but knowing that it would cost them their own lives if they attempted too.

As the two boys walked right by Kurt, one with his arm over the other, Kurt looked up for a brief moment.

It seemed as though the world stopped had suddenly stopped.

One of the boys, the shorter and most likely younger one Kurt guessed, had the most beautiful face he had ever seen. His eyes were a dark chestnut brown. His lips were perfectly shaped and he had slightly triangular eyebrows, which Kurt thought peculiar but strangely attractive. The boy's curly hair was gelled down to his head and shined in the early morning sunlight.

He was so perfect. Kurt's heart started beating faster, much more than it should have. He was sure his cheeks were turned red, because Sam and Artie were now giggling at him. It was only then that he realized that he was blatantly staring at the boy.

As the two boys disappeared at the end of the street, Artie started with the teasing comments.

"_Schauen Sam. Kurt hat einen neuen Freund_!"

"Look Sam. Kurt has a new boyfriend!"

"Shut up Artie." Kurt said.

"Well it's true."

"I never said anything when you tried to go after Brittany."

Artie's face reddened with embarrassment as Sam nearly fell to the ground with laughter.

They all remembered that time when Artie had tried to ask a girl named Brittany out, after which she rejected him in front of their large group of friends, downright humiliating himself.

It was hilarious.

"At least I have a zero chance of being rejected, Artie."

"Aren't you going to talk to him? "

"No…" But Kurt thought otherwise. He so desperately wanted to talk to the boy, but he knew he would be judged for associating with a Jewish person. People would start asking questions.

Before Artie could say anything else, the streetcar arrived and the boys boarded on their way to school.


	2. Chapter 2

**~KURT~**

It had been almost three whole days since Kurt saw the enchanting boy that had caught his attention as he walked by. It was a Friday when Kurt had first laid eyes on him and he hadn't seen him when he got off the streetcar on his way home.

Kurt had been thinking about the boy ever since that morning. His face was an image that was permanently branded into Kurt's mind, something that he couldn't easily forget.

Both Sam and Artie noticed his unusual behavior and had come to visit Kurt at home that Sunday afternoon.

Sam and Finn were sitting at the dining room table playing an intense game of cards in which every so often, on of them would stand up and yell at the other "HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR! YOU CHEATED!" Kurt was surprised that Carole had not already come running into the room when they had started hitting their fists on the table when their other won, nearly knocking down one of his stepmother's precious candleholders.

"_Sie sind verrückt."_

They're crazy.

"I realize that. Don't forget that I live with one of them. "

"That sucks for you." said Artie, smiling jokingly.

Kurt leaned over the space between them on the couch and punched Artie's shoulder playfully.

"Maybe we should trade places for a day." said Kurt.

"My mother would miss me too much." laughed Artie.

Kurt was glad that he had Artie to spend time with. It was nice knowing that there were still these small happy afternoons, in which all the trouble in the world could be forgotten for a few short hours. Kurt and Artie talked about everything including the new film that had just premiered at the cinema, the public pool that had just opened up around the corner, and the store just down the street that just start selling candies of all sorts.

But as always, the conversation took a more serious tone.

"What about that boy?" asked Artie.

"Which boy?"

Anything else, thought Kurt. Anything else but that. Isn't there something else that we could talk about?

"The one that you saw on the street the other day."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, I know you do."

"I really don't."

The frustration flared in Artie's face for a brief moment.

"Why don't you just admit it? You saw boy and you thought he was good looking and you like him!"

Kurt sighed. Did he really need to point out the obvious to his brown haired friend.

"I can't talk to him, even if I wanted to. He's Jewish. Just leave it alone."

From across the room came a shout.

"I told you Finn! Stop looking at my cards! You're cheating!"

An awkward silence hung between Artie and Kurt.

"Boys! Dinner!" called Carole.

**~BLAINE~**

Blaine had been spending most of his time alone for the weekend, as he usually did. He liked to write and so that's what he did.

He wrote about the beautiful boy that was staring at him as he walked by the streetcar stop on Friday, even though he had pretended not to notice him and had attempted to ignore the churning feeling that his stomach had created as he walked by, staring at the ground with Cooper's arm around his shoulder.

Blaine could most often be found with his nose buried in a book, or a pen in his hand, scrawling letters across a blank page.

That was where Cooper had found Blaine on Sunday afternoon, hunched over the wooden desk in his room with his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose, writing a particularly long journal entry.

"What's that?" asked Cooper.

Blaine nearly fell out his seat. He hadn't heard Cooper walking in. He slammed his notebook shut within a second.

"Nothing…it's nothing."

"I saw you writing something. Can't I see what it is?"

"No."

"Am I not your dearly beloved brother whom you treasure so?" said Cooper, trying to make Blaine feel guilty so that he would be able to read Blaine's most recent journal entry. His tactic wasn't working.

"What is it, Cooper?" sighed Blaine. He knew his older brother wanted something.

"I just wanted to read what it is that you were writing."

"Well you can't."

"But I'm really curious." It was times like these in which Cooper enjoyed teasing and annoying his little brother endlessly, enjoying the reaction he would get out of Blaine.

"Well that's just too bad. Go find something else to do."

All of a sudden, Cooper leapt at Blaine, using one arm to pull Blaine's chair backwards sending him crashing to the floor, and the other to swiftly snatch the journal off of Blaine's desk.

"COOPER! _Das ist nicht für Sie zu lesen!"_

That's not for you to read!

Ignoring his little brother's pleas and dodging his grabs toward the journal that he now held in his hand, Cooper danced around the room with the book raised in the air so that Blaine couldn't reach it, and began reading through the journal entry for that day.

"Who is this boy that you're talking about here?" said Cooper, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

"No one that you need to know about." snapped Blaine.

"Is it someone from our school? You're my little brother and I'm genuinely interested to find out who this person is that you feel so strongly for." Cooper said in an overdramatic tone.

"Shut up, Cooper." Blaine said, finally reaching his journal successfully and forcefully pulled it from his older brother's grasp.

"C'mon little brother. Just tell me. Be honest. You know I'll still love and accept you, whoever it is."

"No."

At that, Cooper felt slightly hurt. He loved his little brother and would do anything for him. All he asked in return was that Blaine would place a little trust in him.

"I promise I won't tell Mother or Father who it is."

"You swear it?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

"It's that boy."

Cooper let out a small laugh. "Well that really narrows it down. Can't you be more specific?"

"One of the boys from the streetcar stop."

Cooper thought he felt his heart stop. "One of those German boys? You can't be serious…" This was wrong he thought. Not the fact that Blaine had feelings for another male, but the fact that that person was German, the very people who made it their life's mission to eradicate the Jewish race.

"He's different.," said Blaine, in a rather quiet voice, looking down at the floor.

"Their all the same, Blaine. They all hate us."

It was common knowledge that Jewish people were considered underneath those who were German or of the Aryan race. Though it was something as small as religion, many people believed it cause for segregation and rules that differentiated based on the person's religious beliefs. The law made it very clear that Jewish people and Germans, or anyone who wasn't Jewish for that matter, couldn't be together, much less if they were both men. If two people from opposite religions were caught together, it could torture or possibly death for the both of them.

Cooper was scared for his little brother.

"You know that's illegal right, Blaine?"

"I know. It's just that…he's so perfect. Did you see him? He was so beautiful." said Blaine, momentarily fading out into space and letting his head fill with images of that boy.

"Blaine..BLAINE!" Cooper snapped his fingers in front of Blaine's face, bringing him back to the present.

"What?"

"You've got to stop this. This….is insanity."

"No it isn't it."

"Blaine, he's a German. You're Jewish."

"What difference does that make?" Blaine said, reacting indifferently to what Cooper was saying, still letting his mind wander.

"DO YOU WANT TO DIE?" Cooper yelled, frustrated that he wasn't getting the full attention of his younger brother but immediately regretting it as soon as he let the words fall out of his mouth.

Blaine fell silent, staring at Cooper with wide teary eyes, surprised and also hurt that his older brother would actually say something like that. Wasn't Blaine allowed to love whoever he wanted to love? What was so wrong about being attracted to this other boy? It's not like they were going to get married, Blaine thought. Come to think of it, Blaine wasn't even sure if the other boy was gay.

"Leave."

"Oh my god, Blaine, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't ha-"

"Get out." Blaine said, this time more forcefully.

So Cooper turned around and left the room.

Blaine curled himself into a ball on his bed, pulling the sheets tightly over his whole body, creating a small, safe place for himself, if only for a little while.

That night as he fell asleep, Blaine dreamed about the blond boy with blue eyes and perfect porcelain skin.

**~KURT, THE NEXT DAY~**

"Where the hell are you off to so fast?"

"Going to school, father. Where else would I be going?"

"It just seems a little early to be leaving the house, doesn't it?"

"No it's not. It never hurts to be prepared."

"Alright then, if you say so." Burt looked at Kurt strangely, letting his voice fade away.

"Tell Finn that I say good morning." said Kurt as he opened the door.

Finn always worked at the hardware store with Burt, since jobs were hard to come by in times like these, and money wasn't a luxury that came by so easily anymore. Although Kurt would have loved nothing more than to have Finn come to school with him, Finn was a few years older. It was supposedly "not cool" to spend time with your younger siblings in public.

"Careful."

Kurt turned around from where he was standing on the front porch and smiled at his father.

"Don't worry I always am."

Usually, Sam and Artie would walk with him to the stop on mornings like this, but since it was earlier, they most likely hadn't even left their houses yet. It was better this way, thought Kurt. There was only one reason why he was leaving the house earlier.

He wanted to see the boy again.

Kurt wanted to talk to him without being judged by others and feeling their deep dark stares boring into the back of his head. He had hoped that if he got there earlier, he might be able to catch the other boy walking by.

So Kurt hurried along, creating a track of footprints in the fresh fallen snow that had appeared the night before. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, so the sky was still slightly dark. The air was cold enough to make his teeth chatter as he watched his foggy breath appear in the air before him.

All of a sudden, Kurt heard a loud thud sound, like an object had hit another with great force and it made him jump out of surprise. Slowly looking up, he realized what it was. Stopping for a moment on the snow covered sidewalk, he watched what was happening in front of him slowly unfold.

There was a ladder and one man, dressed in Gestapo uniform holding it in place at the base. The other man, also dressed in Gestapo uniform, was standing on the rungs near the top of the ladder, with a large poster and hammer in hand.

"_Beeil dich, du dumme Narr." _said the man who was standing at the base of the ladder.

Hurry up, you stupid fool.

"I'm trying, okay? Why can't you just shut up and be patient?" said the man who was standing at the top of the ladder.

"Because I'm freezing my ass off over here, and I don't want to be around when the Jews come to open up shop."

It all became clear to Kurt.

The man on the ladder continued to hammer to poster into the wall, up above the shop window, and that was when he realized where the thud sound was coming from. Once the poster was fully tacked to the wall, Kurt could see what was on it. There was a big gold star directly in the centre. The Star of David and in the centre it read "_Jude". _Jew.

They were trying to discourage the general public from shopping at that particular store because it was Jewish-owned.

The men suddenly noticed that Kurt was standing there. They also noticed that he was wearing his uniform.

"Well look at what we've got here. Another one of the youth. Serving an honorable cause, if I say so myself." said the man at the base of the ladder.

"Yes, sir." said Kurt. That was all he could manage. He was trembling with fear and he wasn't sure why.

"Hurry along, now. Get to your classes, young man. Maybe someday you'll be able to serve with the likes of us."

"Yes sir" and Kurt ran off down the road.

Kurt waited. And waited.

And waited.

But the dark, curly haired boy never came. When Sam and Artie showed up, asking where he had been, Kurt almost completely ignored them, looking down the street to make sure that he wouldn't miss him. Thankfully, the other boys in their class didn't seem to notice anything.

All to soon, the streetcar pulled up to the curb and Kurt's fellow classmates fell into line and climbed aboard. Sam and Artie nearly had to force Kurt to climb up the steps and take a seat.

As the streetcar was pulling away from the sidewalk, two figures emerged from the street corner.

It was the boy and the other figure that Kurt assumed must have been his older brother.

Kurt pressed his hands to the window, keeping his glare on the boy.

**~BLAINE~**

Cooper walked silently beside Blaine not saying a word. Both boys were playing out the conversation that had happened the night before inside their heads. Cooper wanted to say something but was afraid of upsetting his little brother.

As Blaine looked up from the ground to start a conversation with Cooper, he noticed the streetcar that was slowly pulling away from the sidewalk.

And the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy that was staring directly at him from the back window.

Blaine stopped breathing for a split second.

Then the streetcar turned around the corner.


	3. Chapter 3

**~December, 1939~**

**~KURT~**

Kurt sat gloomily in the window seat crossed-legged tracing doodles with his fingers onto the frosty glass. Outside the wind was blowing fiercely and the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. Winter had clearly made its presence known.

It had been quite the boring afternoon. Kurt would have rung up Sam and Artie but the phone lines were down and it was much to cold to go outside anyway. Instead of amusing himself like he usually did by reading books, listening to music, or bothering Finn, Kurt had spent his day here in the window seat dreaming, the moment the streetcar pulled away from the sidewalk still stuck inside his head.

It had been an entire month, yet Kurt still felt his heart ache whenever he saw the boys face in his mind. Each morning he would rush to the bus stop quite a bit earlier than everyone else, if only to catch just another glimpse of him, or maybe to stop and get his name so that he could finally give a name to the face that had been occupying his every thought.

Christmas was fast approaching, it was only a week away now, and Kurt couldn't help but wonder what the boy would be doing during the two weeks Kurt had off from school. Wasn't it Hanukkah that the Jewish people celebrated? Or was that at another time of the year? Either way, Kurt couldn't help but feel uneasy. It was most likely at this time of the year that anti-Semitism was particularly strong. If you were Jewish and weren't celebrating Christmas right now, you might as well be dead.

"Kurt! Dinner!" called Carole from downstairs.

With a heavy sigh, Kurt lifted himself off the window seat and trudged wearily down the stairs to the dining room where Burt, Carole, and Finn were already seated.

"What have you been doing this whole time?" asked Burt.

"Going crazy, that's what." replied Finn.

"_Finn."_ said Carole in heavy tone, giving her son a swift hit on the back of the head.

"What? It's true. He spends all day alone up in his room."

"One more time Finn, and I'll lock you in your room for the rest of the evening." The look on Carole's face clearly gave the notion that she wasn't joking.

After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, Burt spoke up.

"Finn does have a point though. It's not just recent. It's been going on for the past month. Even Sam and Artie have told me that they've noticed something wrong with you. What have you being doing up there?"

"Nothing, dad."

"You think I'm really that stupid?"

"Oh, Burt. Just leave the poor child alone. I'm sure it's just some phase that he's going through. You know teenagers these days."

In that moment, Kurt had never been more appreciative of Carole.

The rest of dinner was normal, as always. Finn and Burt were talking about new products that they had to sell at the shop, as well recruitment offices that were opening up all across the city in preparation for the battles of war yet to come. Every now and then, Carole would jump in with something like "You'll be joining the war over my dead body." but her opinions were drowned out by the loud sounds of enthusiasm in both Burt's and Finns voice.

It was quite an unusual thing for Kurt to be sitting quietly not saying anything, but here he was, his eyes focusing on the plate of food in front of him, his mind occupied elsewhere.

**~BLAINE~**

It was on days like this when Blaine liked to wrap himself in layers of blankets and pretend that it was really the boy that was holding him. He would imagine his arms around his own waist and fall asleep, entering a dream that was much to good to be true.

The mood in the house was rather dreary. Hanukkah had ended a while ago and as per usual, post-holiday depression was setting. The sad feeling that comes along once a holiday has ended for the year and you must and another entire year for it to return.

As Blaine curled up under his sheets, he thought of the boy and what it would be like to talk to him, to hug him, to kiss him.

As sleep overtook Blaine, he wondered.

_Is it possible to fall in love with someone you've never met? _

_**__**Author's Note: Sorry for the extremely short chapter. I just needed a filler until I figure out where I'm going with this storyline. Thanks for your patience **____**"**_


	4. Chapter 4

**~January, 1940~ **

**~KURT~**

"_My name is Kurt."_

After sealing the envelope shut, Kurt sighed making sure the sentence that he had written on the front was clear. This was probably an effort in vain, but it was the last hope that he had. After two months of no more than a few stolen glances and long held stares that made his heart stop every time, Kurt was desperate to know who this boy was. Every morning, Kurt rushed to the streetcar stop, no longer waiting for Artie and Sam just so he could see that the boy was okay.

Munich was no longer the happy, free city it had once been. The police had begun what they referred to as "condensing"; moving Jews into the designated areas of the cities known as ghettos. They were slums, essentially housing that the poor had abandoned. If the boy was moved into these ghettos, there was a chance that Kurt might never see him again and Kurt would spend the rest of his life wondering what if.

Throwing in his grey coat with the brown buttons going down the front, Kurt slid the letter inside his satchel and put a small piece of string inside his pocket eager to be on his way. As he walked out the door, Burt gave him a reproachful glance, eyes full of concern. Kurt kept his eyes down on the floor as he walked out the front door, not wanting to give any part of his plan away.

Once he arrive at the streetcar stop again much earlier than usual, Kurt took the string and letter out of his pocket and tied the envelope to the lamp post, making sure that it couldn't be seen by Kurt's other classmates. Later, when Sam and Artie arrived, the trio started their usual friendly banter, Kurt hiding the anxiousness that he felt with a calm face and pleasant smile, occasionally glancing down the street waiting for the other boy who never came even as the time for the streetcar arrival loomed closer.

"Something wrong?" asked Sam. Kurt smiled at his blonde friend, determined to mask his emotions.

"Fine…I'm fine…Don't worry about me. I'm just really cold." Kurt shivered slightly to put emphasis on his point.

Artie shook his head, stifling a small laugh as he threw his arm around Kurt's shoulders. "Sissy." he muttered.

When the streetcar arrived, Kurt thought he had never felt more disappointed in his entire life. Even as the streetcar sped away, the sidewalk remained empty, no sign of the other boy.

**~BLAINE~**

"We're going to be late! I didn't know it was possible for anyone to walk any slower…." Cooper said, breathing heavily as he ran through the deep snow, leaving numerous footprints on the ground. Blaine followed, struggling to keep up. They should have left earlier he thought to himself, earlier in the morning when there were less guards out. The two Anderson brothers would have stayed home if it weren't for their father, who continued to stress the importance of education everyday. He nearly threw a fit when Cooper and Blaine proposed that they stay home for the day, on account of sleeping in too late. Blaine sometimes hated his father and just now was one of those times.

As Blaine continued after Cooper, he became so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn't hear the noises that some other boys were making as they came up behind him.

"Blaine!" Cooper yelled as he turned to run towards his little brother, but it was too late. The other boys, all wearing swastika bands around their arms had already pulled Blaine down to the ground, punching and kicking him, despite the yells and cries of pain that were coming from him. The commotion had attracted some attention from passerby, some laughing, others showing signs of concern, none moving to help.

"Get away from him, you monsters!" Cooper said as he broke through the ring of boys surrounding his brother, who all ran after they saw how much taller Cooper was.

There was Blaine, lying in the snow, not getting up off the ground, but crying a torrent of tears while purple bruises formed on his face and a trickle of blood dripped from his nose.

Broken, Blaine felt broken and alone, feeling nothing else but pain and sadness as cold snow seeped it's way through Blaine's clothes but Blaine didn't care. He wanted nothing more than to lay there on the ground and fall asleep, never to wake up.

But today was no t the day that Blaine would lose himself to pain as Cooper grabbed his arms and pulled him off the ground, holding him close under his left arm.

"Let's keep going Blaine." said Cooper, intent on getting to the school where they would be relatively safe. Blaine limped along, walking as fast as he could until he noticed something out of the corner of his eye

"Hold on Coop, I dropped something."

Blaine rushed towards the lamppost where he had seen the abandoned yellowed piece of paper that had piqued his curiosity.

"You stupid idiot! Do you want to get hurt again?" Cooper said, voice full of concern, swiftly pulling Blaine back under his arm.

Luckily, he didn't notice the letter Blaine had stuffed into his pocket.

**~KURT~**

The end of the school day was near.

Today, the class had learned about the history of the _Füherland_ (Germany), how to properly solve a quadratic equation in mathematics, Latin class, geography class, and the class that most held in the highest regard, The Jewish Question.

Everyday during _"The Jewish Question" _which Kurt despised so, the class was subject to useless teachings, which dictated beliefs that Kurt had heard so many times over.

"They're useless beings."

"They've ruined the economy."

"They're greedy monsters."

"They're full of disease."

"They start wars."

"They're clearly inferior to us."

Kurt never understood it all. They were people. They didn't deserve this. Nobody did.

As soon as they were let out, Kurt had to keep himself from running out the door. He met with Sam and Artie at the front doors once school was over and walked to the waiting streetcar.

"_Wie war dein Tag?" _asked Sam.

How was your day?

"Fine. Didn't learn anything useful. As usual."

"Isn't it the same everyday?" replied Artie.

And so the three boys rode the streetcar home together as they usually did, making fun of their teachers and fellow classmates, sitting at the back of the streetcar

away from everyone else.

As Kurt was walking home with Sam and Artie, he almost walked past the lamppost without a second glance. Realizing it, Kurt turned his head and took a quick look, eyes searching for the note that he had left there that morning.

When he didn't find it, Kurt thought he had never felt happier in his entire life.

**~BLAINE~**

The walls might have been able to keep the outside chill to a minimum, but the yells of Cooper and Blaine's father were much more forceful and no matter how much Blaine tried to plug his ear, the fighting words that were being exchanged between his older brother and father were still clear as day.

From within his bedroom, Blaine could make out the entire conversation.

"How could you let this happen?"

"How could I? We wanted to stay home. You forced us out!"

"You should have left earlier!"

"I'm sorry I'm not perfect! It's your fault that he's hurt!"

After that, Blaine couldn't make out much more because his mother had joined in with her shrill voice and the whole conversation became a whole loud bundle of voices.

His ribcage was still aching and the bruises were throbbing. The bandage that was stuck onto his nose made his face look almost comical. Blaine was sure his ankle was sprained at least because it was red and swollen to twice it's size. One of his eyes was purple and swollen shut.

He might have blamed himself for what happened if it had not been for their father, pushing them to leave the house this morning. After all, it was himself who hadn't been paying attention.

Blaine thought himself stupid to think that he was at least temporarily safe just because he was in a area where there where quite a few people. Nowhere was safe anymore.

When he and Cooper had arrived home that afternoon, their mother had immediately panicked, gathering bandages and wet dish towels from their tiny kitchen, wiping away the caked blood that was covering most of Blaine's face.

He couldn't do his homework. He couldn't read one of his long books that were crowded with words on each page. His head hurt too much. So Blaine limped over to where his coat was hanging off the back of his desk chair and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from one of the pocket, settling himself down in the chair and slowly opening the sealed envelope.

_**Dear Whoever You Are, **_

_**My name is Kurt. I'm that boy with the dirty-blonde hair. I think you might have seen me before. **_

_**I'm sorry we can't talk. Extenuating circumstances. You know what I mean. I suppose it'll get better. Eventually. **_

_**I've seen you with your brother, walking to school every morning. At least I think he's your brother. You two look alike. **_

_**I've got a brother. His name is Finn. My father is Burt and my mother is Carole. That's my family. **_

_**I know this seems quite random, but I feel the need to talk to you, to get to know you better. You're different from other people. There's a quiet maturity about you, yet laughter and happiness hidden in your eyes. **_

_**I'm not some insane person. Quite the contrary. If you'd like to respond, and I hope that you do, please leave another letter here at the address on the back of this paper. Try to do it early in the morning. On weekdays. **_

_**Don't let anybody know. **_

_**It would mean the world to me. **_

_**Kurt. **_

It was almost as if time had stopped. The continuous yelling in the background had faded to a dull drone and the branches outside Blaine's window that were swaying in the wind seemed to be moving in slow motion.

Kurt. Kurt was the name of the boy who had so quickly captured his heart within the span of a few months. The fact that Blaine now had to ability to contact him was enough excitement to keep him awake for the entire night.

Blaine pulled out his stationary kit and began writing.

_**My name is Blaine. **_


	5. Chapter 5

**~February 1940~ **

**~BLAINE~**

There had never been a more enjoyable time in Blaine Anderson's life and for quite a while it seemed as though nothing could possibly put a dapper on his happiness. The communication between Kurt and Blaine was continuing, though under strenuous conditions. Though Kurt had requested that the letters be dropped off at his home address, it was quite dangerous what with all the constant patrol officers of the Gestapo police strolling about, Blaine was more than happy to oblige.

Through letters and unspoken words, Blaine had come to know Kurt as quite a marvelous individual. Kurt was unlike anyone Blaine had ever known before. Kurt was compassionate and caring and with every written letter, every stroke of ink, Blaine could almost feel the love and happiness seeping through the paper. Through letters, Blaine had come to know about Kurt's life and the people in it, what Kurt liked, his interests, and the things he hated.

Despite that fact that winter winds were stinging Blaine's skin, turning the whole of his face into a dark red color while peeling the skin just a tad, Blaine still walked with a brisk light step back from Kurt's home. The only missing aspect of Blaine's life was meeting Kurt in person. Greeting him. Shaking his hand. Touching him. Through back alleyways and rarely used streets he went to avoid the crowds of people that were around who would stop at nothing to harm an innocent Jew.

As he arrived at the front door of his apartment building, a strange feeling of panic descended upon him as he could sense that something was not quite right. The anxiousness that Blaine had so suddenly felt was increasing as he climbed the steps to the third floor out of four and opened the creaky wooden door with the rusty old key that he held in his hand.

The sounds of sobbing and tears could be heard from the kitchen, which told Blaine that his feelings of panic and anxiousness had been correct.

Upon entering the kitchen Blaine was shocked at the scene that lay before him.

The room was in a great mess. There were papers lying everywhere, pots scattered about, cupboard drawers torn off their hinges, and food splattered on the walls. Seated at the table were his brother and his father.

Cooper was standing behind their father with one arm around his shoulders, looking at Blaine with sorrow and pain while their father had his elbows resting on the table, face buried in his hands, shoulders shaking with uncontrollable sobs.

Blaine's mother was nowhere to be found.

"What happened here?" Blaine asked, although a small nagging feeling in the back of his head, told him that he somehow already knew.

With what seemed to take a great amount of strength, Blaine's father lifted his head and looked straight at his younger son.

"They took your mother. Her deportation letter came in the mail the other day and we thought they might ignore her if she never showed up at the train station. We were wrong. And I didn't stop them. They took her away from me." He struggled to choke those last words out as sobs overtook his body once more.

At first it didn't sink in. The fact that the one woman who had been a constant in Blaine's life since his birth was gone was something that he denied almost immediately. Blaine was too shocked for words.

Looking at Cooper he said, "What do we do now?"

"I don't know."

That was when he lost it. Blaine couldn't hold it in any longer.

He cried until there was nothing left in him. And then he cried some more.

**~KURT~**

His most recent letter had come in the mail the other day. Kurt must have read it over a few hundred times. It seemed that way; with the hours that Kurt spent sitting alone in his room.

Burt was continuously working at the shop meeting up with demands for demands for tires and automotive parts to supply the fighting German soldiers with. Carole became so wrapped up in scanning the newspaper each and every day for news from the battles from the war front, though it was hard to obtain accurate reports because of Hitler's propaganda. It seemed that Finn was the only one who noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Sitting at the edge of his bed was where Finn found Kurt when he walked into his room one afternoon.

"Hey there, little brother."

Kurt slid the letter underneath him.

"Hi."

"Go away."

Shaking his head Finn replied with a sarcastic tone, "Now that's not so nice is it?" but the seriousness on Kurt's face told him that there was something more to the situation.

"What happened?"

"There's this boy….." Kurt began carefully.

"Do you love him? Do you want to ask him out? Is he the one?"

"Ummm…." Kurt backed away, slightly taken aback by Finn's eager response.

"Ha, I'm only joking. But in all seriousness though, tell me more."

Kurt hesitated for a little while, thinking about what might happen if Finn found out who he was talking to. What would his reaction be?

It was worth a shot. After all, he had nothing to lose. Kurt told Finn everything. From the first glances at the streetcar stop, to the letter writing and their now constant communication.

Finn was happy for him, but scared at the same time.

"Do you know what this could mean?"

"I know, I know. It's not right…"

"No, it's not that, Kurt. You know I love you and I'm happy for you. I just want you to be careful. I may be alright with it, Burt and my mother most likely will, but Germany is still under Nazi rule."

Taking in a deep breath, Kurt thought about what Finn had just said.

"But if you have genuine feelings for this other boy then…."

Finn wasn't able to finish his sentence because at that moment, Kurt lept forward and gave the biggest hug he might have ever given anyone.

**~BLAINE~**

He didn't care anymore. He didn't care what anyone thought or who saw him. All that mattered to him was the crumpled letter in his hand.

A few loose threads were hanging from a spot in the front of his jacket where the yellow star had once been. Blaine's mother had sewn it there for him and it was to painful of a reminder.

Blaine's steps were hurried and fast paced. His eyes were red and puffy from all the crying the night before. It had drained him, both physically and emotionally. There were no more tears left to cry with.

Blaine kept his hat tucked over his head and his gaze to the ground. The less people who recognized him and saw his face, the better.

The route to Kurt's home address was something that Blaine knew like that back of his hand now. He didn't even have to look up at where he was going to make sure that he was going in the right direction.

His focus was kept on the ground until Blaine heard a small, soft voice calling his name from far away. He looked up and there was Kurt. Standing there across the street, on the front steps of his house leaning on the railing. God, Blaine had never seen anything so beautiful and perfect. He wanted nothing more than to run to him.

But he couldn't.

He couldn't do it and with the fear and anxiety that suddenly coursed through him, Blaine dropped his crumpled letter on the ground and ran, despite the repeated shouts of his name from behind him.

And he kept running until he couldn't breathe anymore. By then, he was almost home, back to his father and brother. Back to where he could find at least some semblance of safety and respite.

Cooper met him at the door.

"Where's father?" Blaine asked.

"Lying down in bed. He hasn't gotten up at all, since yesterday."

"What's going to happen to him?"

"I don't know little brother."

The majority of the apartment building seemed eerily quite. It was quite unusual since the noises that the other residents made could often be heard through the walls.

"Where are the Adelsteins?" Blaine asked cautiously.

The Adelsteins had been the Anderson's neighbors since Blaine had been born. They were a traditional Jewish family with two loving parents and three children, two girls and one boy. Blaine had grown with the boy, the youngest one, whose name was Trent. They had been best friends since childhood and had grown close over the past few years. More than often, Blaine would spend his day with him and his family.

"Gone."

"What do you mean gone?" although Blaine was quite sure he knew what Cooper, though in his mind, he was denying it.

"Taken away. By the Gestapo. I thought you already knew."

It was happening to those who were close to them and it wouldn't be long before it happened to them.

It seemed that there was nowhere safe to go anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

******_**Author's Note: I have exams coming up at school and all of these end of the year assignments to take care of. I'm so sorry there's been such a delay between chapters **____** I also apologize if this chapter sucks. It really is just a filler for when I can write a more detailed one. Happy reading****_

**~April 1940~**

**~KURT~**

He was stupid. So completely, utterly, totally, downright stupid, Kurt thought about himself again. So ignorant to think that Blaine would actually have a legitimate interest in him.

It had been more than a month now since Kurt had last seen him, save for the few crossings between them at the streetcar stop. The letters had ceased and communication between the two boys had come to a halt.

Kurt didn't know what he had done wrong and after weeks of thinking about it; he still hadn't managed to figure it out. At the age of seventeen, you would think that a boy would act more mature but clearly nothing could be further from the truth.

It broke Kurt's heart to think that he had trusted someone with his love, not so often given, only to have stomped on. But it didn't matter. Perhaps it was all for the best. Kurt had other more important matters on his list of priorities.

~SLAM~

"Kurt, sweetie, would you mind closing the door just a little bit quieter?"

"If I could, then I would."

"Kurt, would you be so kind as to please drop the attitude?" Burt yelled from the other room.

"Mmmhhmm."

Kurt climbed the stairs to his bedroom where he changed from his school uniform to his normal clothing and sat on the windowsill, overlooking the street and it's many busy passerby.

Yes, it would seem that all good things certainly do come to an end.

**~BLAINE~**

It had been a quiet few months since Blaine's mother was taken and much had changed since then. No longer did the Anderson family reside in a pleasantly sized apartment but now a one room dwelling, one of many on the third floor of a degrading concrete building.

The ghetto was being, in lesser terms, downsized. Everyday, buildings were being emptied, the destinations of their inhabitants unknown though it was rumored that they were being put on trains, to where, no one knew. Blaine nor Cooper were never allowed to leave the sectioned off slum that they were confined too. Only their father had permission to leave as long he had his I.D card with him and papers, proving that he worked in the packaging factory that was located nearly halfway across the city.

As for schooling, Blaine and Cooper were subject each day to the boring teachings of the old rabbi, who was quite fragile. It was a wonder the man was still alive.

The Anderson's day went something like this: wake up, have a small slice of bread for breakfast, gather the notebook that was required to copy down the rabbis lessons in, and on their they went. After a day of instruction, they would on their way home gather pieces of tin and bottles that they would sell for small amounts of money. On arrival back to their tiny one room they would spend the rest of the day inside. The guards that wandered the streets after dark were quite fond of stealing people in the night and never returning them.

"Careful, there little brother. No need to cause yourself an injury."

"Shut up. I'm always careful."

Blaine gripped the small sheet of metal carefully in his left hand. It was shiny and in good condition. It could be worth quite a handful.

It was really a surprise that Blaine and Cooper hadn't been taken away yet. The younger ones were usually always the first to go.

The sun was setting on the horizon, turning the sky all different shades of pink, purple, and orange. It was so beautiful.

How could something so beautiful exist in such horrific times?

Upon entering their one room dwelling, Blaine and Cooper set down their pieces of metals in the corner of the room, underneath the cot that Blaine and Cooper shared. If somebody unwanted entered, at least their valuables would be hidden.

The only window was small and grimy, covered in a thin layer of dirt. The yellowing wallpaper was peeling, revealing the concrete underneath, which contained many cracks. Blaine feared for the winter months. The size of the room itself was no bigger than a large sized bathroom.

Blaine and Cooper set themselves to the task of reviewing their lesson from that day until the hour of 9:00 pm, when their father arrived home.

"What have you both been up to?"

"Studying. What else?" replied Cooper in a weary voice. "We can't do much else."

"Quiet with that attitude, young man. Pray to the lord and everything will be alright."

"Oh goodness…." whispered Blaine underneath his breath.

"What was that?" asked his father.

"The Lord didn't bring mother back, did he?"

Blaine never anticipated the stinging slap that came across his face, leaving a ringing sound in his ears.

**~KURT~**

Despite everything he still had to check. There was still hope. Wasn't there?

Running as fast as he could, with Artie and Sam chasing after him, Kurt hurried towards his house, eager to check the mailbox.

Once Kurt discovered that it was empty.

Why did he always get his hopes up, just for them to be crashed and shattered?

**~BLAINE~**

Kurt was the one thing that was always on his mind. He couldn't help but wonder what the blonde haired boy was doing right now. Did he hate Blaine? Most likely.

It made Blaine sad to think that he might never see Kurt again. He let a tear or two trickle slowly from eyes.

"Everything all right little brother?"

"It's just the bruise that's hurting a bit."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Blaine glanced across the room at his father sleeping in his own cot and wondered when he had turned into such a cruel old man, who seemed to be seemingly void of emotion.

As Cooper turned over so that his back was facing Blaine, Blaine turned to lie on his back and stare at the cracks in the ceiling. He wondered when he would be able to tell his brother and father everything that had been going on with Kurt, when he could be honest with his father about who he was.

There was so much that one person could hide.


	7. Chapter 7

_****Author's Note: So I spent some more time on this chapter now that exams are finished. There is use of swear words. I know a lot of you probably won't mind, but I'm just warning you. See ya'll later. ****_

**~June 1940~**

**~BLAINE~**

Everything was silent. The only sound that could be heard were the footsteps of the soldiers pacing quickly up and down the street, shouting orders to each other. At one point, one of them stood overtop of them and Blaine almost thought that he could smell them.

The Anderson family was lying side by side on the muddy ground, in a hole that had been dug beneath the wooden floorboards of a barn that had been converted into a residence for various citizens of the ghetto. In total, there must have been nearly ten Jewish residents crowded into that small hole.

In thick German voices the soldiers were saying to one another:

"_All of them find every last one!"_

"_Orders from the master, this section must be clear by tomorrow." _

"_Don't leave anyone behind!" _

Another "liquidation" was happening. Another round up. Another day in which people would crawl from their hiding spaces, crying and wondering where their family members had gone. Children looking for their mothers. Husbands looking for their wives. Brothers looking for their sisters. Of course, everybody tried to hide but there were always those few who were not so lucky.

Blaine was lying down face to face with Cooper. Both boys were staring at each other with a look of immense terror on their faces, neither one sure of what to do except for one thing: to remain quiet.

"_You stupid bitch! You dirty little whore!"_

Loud footsteps were overhead, crossing from one side of the barn to the other. A woman began pleading.

"_No, no, please! I have children! What are they going to do without me?" _

A soldier responded with a clear chilling voice that was so unnervingly calm.

"_They'll join you soon enough in the pits of hell." _

That's when the sounds of struggling began and it became clear to the hiding residents that the woman was being dragged outside. Her screams were blood curdling and were like nothing that Blaine had ever heard before.

They continued on until a single gunshot silenced them.

The sudden noise scared Blaine and he was about to let out a scream himself if it wasn't for Cooper, who stuffed a rag in his brother's mouth and whispered for him to shut up.

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut in hopes of preventing the tears from making their way down his cheeks. He kept them closed until the sounds of a truck were heard fading into the distance and all was quiet. It must have been nearly half an hour before anyone said anything.

Blaine's father was the first to speak.

"I think everything's all right now. They should be gone by now. I don't see why they would stay any longer."

A few of the stronger men that were hidden in the small hiding space pushed up the few loose floorboards that they had hidden under. One by one, each person that had been hiding in the hole climbed out and made an assessment of their surroundings.

Blaine saw that the coarse hay that had covered the floor was scattered and the hiding place that he was in could have easily been exposed. Blaine supposed that the woman knew that they were there, but didn't say anything. Thank goodness she hadn't because if she had, they were all as good as dead. Blaine kept close behind Cooper as they made their way outside with their father just ahead of them.

The barn had become their new home. The Anderson family had been forced to move time and time again, each location that they lived in packed tighter with more people than the last. The threat of disease was constant.

Out on the street, all those that were hiding began crawling out into the open, looking around in confusion. A few broke down in wails of sorrow as they realized they were all alone. Some were running in between buildings, looking under porches and behind closed doors in hopes that they would find someone that they knew. Someone, anyone to hold on to, to provide a meek sense of normalcy and familiarity.

"Blaine turn around." said Cooper in a strong voice although Blaine could sense concern.

"What?" Blaine replied as he slowly shook himself from his thoughts.

"I said turn around."

Clearly Cooper was trying to prevent Blaine from seeing something but it was too late.

There, in front of them was the body of a woman, most likely the one that they had heard struggling with the soldier earlier. She was lying face down in the mud, her cold body unmoving, an open bullet wound in her back and a pool of red forming around her.

Blaine turned around and threw up.

**~KURT~**

They were all seated in a circle around the radio in the living room, each person listening intently for news, signs of any change, but everyday it was all the same.

All that was broadcasted now was government-controlled propaganda detailing the great victories of the brave German soldiers and their allies. Everyday all that was heard was the voice of Adolf Hitler telling the country that the Germans were the Aryan race and were eventually going to rule the whole world.

Kurt knew they were lying. He knew that the soldiers of his own country might be winning the war, but only by a tenuous grasp and it was only a matter of time before they began losing. As proud of his heritage as Kurt was, he couldn't wait to see Germany fall.

Kurt glanced around at the people who were sitting around the radio with him. Sam and Artie, his two best friends sitting on either side of him, were staring wearily at the floor. Burt and Carole were seated on the couch together, Burt with one arm around his wife, his eyes flickering from person to person. Finn had found himself a place in the corner of the room, eyebrows scrunched together in a look of immense concentration.

Though Kurt was glad that all those who were close to him were gathered in one room safely, he couldn't help but wonder what had become of Blaine. It had been quite a few months since Kurt last saw him and it frightened him to think of where he could be.

It was public knowledge that deportation had begun. Every morning houses were found to be empty, the locations of their inhabitants unknown. Most of those houses were owned by Jewish families. People would merely walk into these houses and claimed what they would without a second glance.

Kurt had heard rumors of the ghettos that had been created and wondered if Blaine was in one of them. Maybe if he could find him…..

_Als überlegene Rasse, müssen wir zeigen, das schwache unsere Stärke und unser Führer ist der einzig wahre Führer der Welt._

_**As the superior race, we must show the weak our strength and that our leader is the one true leader of the world. **_

The sound of the radio announcer's voice was cut off by Burt, who turned it off with a look of dismay on his face.

"That's quite enough of that."

But Kurt couldn't shake the feeling of dread out of his mind.

"What if there's some truth to what he's saying? What if Hitler really does win the war?"

"Don't you worry about that." replied Burt. "The old dog lacks the mental capability to properly run a country much less win a war."

Sam turned to Kurt and put an arm around his friend's shoulders.

"You shouldn't worry about that kind of stuff. I don't think this is all going to last very long anyway."

"Of course, Sam's right Kurt. Just try not to think about." said Artie.

All Kurt could do was smile. No one had to know how truly conflicted he was feeling inside.

Though he was mad at Blaine for not attempting to keep in contact, the boy was still constantly in his thoughts.

**~BLAINE~**

It was only a matter of time now before they were taken away too. Try as they might they couldn't hide forever.

Their days were now filled with wandering what was left of the ghetto, collecting what scraps of metal they could and selling them to whomever might still be alive.

Blaine's father was still allowed to leave in order to work, but only on very tight conditions. Blaine thought about escaping but then realized how impossible that would be. Unless he could somehow manage to squeeze through the fence at night…..

"BLAINE!"

"Hmm?"

"Would you please help me over here?"

"Fine."

Gathering supplies of what other people had left behind wasn't exactly the most enjoyable task, but the Anderson brothers had no other choice if they wanted to survive.

"Hey, Cooper?"

"What?"

"Have you ever thought about leaving?"

"Leaving what?"

"Here. This place. We could run away, find somewhere new to live. Get new identities."

"And get caught? And leave father behind all alone? We have no money. There's nowhere for us to go. Who would take a pair of dirty old street boys in? Stop imagining Blaine and just accept what's happening."

_Kurt would take us in, _Blaine thought. Instead he said:

"Aren't you scared? Why would you just give up like that? You weren't like this before."

"There's really nothing we can do. What do you expect? For me to rise up against the whole German army?"

"At least have a little optimism."

"In a place like this?"

Blaine didn't bother saying anything after that.

The two brothers started making their way home where they knew that their father would most likely be waiting for them.

They were right. There were several empty bottles of booze lying around as well. They then realized what their father had been spending their tiny income on.

The stench of alcohol was strong in the air.

"And what were you two doing all day?"

"What were you doing?" asked Cooper. "Because it seems to me that you haven't made much use of your time."

Their father stood up angrily and slammed his fist onto the table. Clearly he wasn't pleased.

"Don't give me the attitude young man. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I've been doing everything I can for this family while you've been sitting on your drunk ass all day long!"

Blaine's father stepped towards Cooper and continued to advance forward until he had Cooper cornered.

"Say that again."

"You are nothing but a lazy drunkard and I am ashamed that you're my father."

Their father would have punched Cooper until he was unconscious if Blaine had not stepped in.

The next thing he knew, Blaine was laying on the floor with a bloody nose and his right eye was beginning to swell. Before he could deliver another kick to Blaine's gut, Cooper pulled him back to the wall. The Anderson family was all alone, the other residents had yet to come back from a day of work, so nobody came to complain about the noise that they were making.

"How could you do this to your own son?!" Cooper began yelling.

"Look at him. Why should I feel sorry? He's such a little sissy."

"Do you really enjoy beating up your own children? Has the alcohol made you a sick monster as well as a drunkard?"

"Don't even try to make me feel guilty. You know it as well as I do that your little brother is just a weakling. He has no friends…he's never even had a girlfriend. He.."

"It's because I don't like them."

Cooper and their father looked over to where Blaine was lying on the floor both surprised that he had even said anything.

"Blaine what did you say?" Cooper walked over to where his little brother was on the floor and helped him sit up.

"Blaine can you say that again?"

"I don't like them."

"You don't like what?"

"Girls. I don't like them."

The boy's father began laughing hysterically. "The stupid idiot doesn't even know what he's saying."

"No, father. I'm being serious."

At that moment, the laughing ceased. "What are you saying?"

"I'm gay."

Their father's mouth dropped open in pure shock, which immediately turned to disgust as he began rushing towards Blaine once more. "YOU DISGUSTING VILE CREATURE. YOUR MOTHER WOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOU."

Luckily, Cooper blocked his way. "Leave him be, you sick piece of shit!"

Their father stopped. Calmly he said, "Get out. I won't have you in my presence any longer. From this moment on, you are no longer my son."

Blaine knew that he was defeated. One thin, weak, seventeen year old boy against a full grown man? That was not like to end well. Slowly he got up to leave.

Cooper followed him.

"No, Coop. You just stay here."

"I'm not letting you go out there on your own! Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No, but our father is. He may be an adult but he needs someone to watch over him, as cruel as he is. Promise me you'll do that for me."

"Yes, Blaine I promise. But what's going to happen to you?"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Blaine didn't want to tell Cooper where he was thinking of going in case he was questioned by a few officers or something of the like. "You just worry about yourself. And as hard as it may seem, try your best to think positive."

The two brothers hugged each other tightly while their father stood in the corner, nursing a half empty bottle of whiskey and looking on disapprovingly.

Blaine knew that from this point on, he would most likely have to fend for himself, finding ways to survive. He didn't like thinking about what it was going to be like without Cooper by his side. Blaine's earliest memories were of playing with Cooper. Cooper had always been there to protect Blaine when he couldn't defend himself on his own. Blaine knew that this might possibly be the last time he ever saw him.

The two boys didn't let go of each other for a quite a while and probably would have never let go if their father hadn't started throwing obscenities at the two of them from across the room.

"Is there anything that I can do?"

"No. Don't worry though; we'll see each other again. This isn't a permanent change." Lies were sometimes better than the truth, Blaine thought. And ignorance was bliss.

"Okay. I love you." That was all a teary-eyed Cooper could manage.

"I love you too."

Blaine gathered his old leather satchel and inside he placed a picture of him and Cooper when they were little, a worn copy of the Torah, his journal, and his coat, which he tore the yellow star off of and threw it to the ground. Then he turned around and walked out the door.

"That's right, sissy. Keep walking and don't you think about coming back." Their father muttered as he left.

Blaine never looked back.

As he walked the streets all afternoon, Blaine was thinking about where he could go that would be a safe place for him. Since it was daytime, the presence of the guards on the perimeter of the ghetto was light, with only one soldier strolling by every so often.

Blaine came to the iron bar fence. He knew he had to move fast.

It was quite easy for him to squeeze in between the bars since he had grown so thin. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually eaten a full meal.

As he ran from the fence on the outside of the ghetto, Blaine only had one thought in his head.

_Kurt. _

**~KURT~**

"And remember boys, when the alarm sounds, gather your emergency bag and run to the shelter in the backyard, alright?

Kurt and Finn nodded. Carole was teaching them about what they were to do if planes that were holding bombs began flying overhead. The practice drills occurred quite often these days and Kurt knew that it was only a matter of time before they became a reality.

"And Burt, you too. It's very important that you remember what you're supposed to do."

"I know, Carole. I fought during the first war. I know what it's like."

"That doesn't mean your immortal."

As Burt and Carole started to argue, Finn and Kurt saw it as an opportunity to back out of the room and find something else to occupy their time with.

"What about another round of cards?" suggested Finn.

"Sure, it's not like there's anything else to do."

As the two stepbrothers began their game, the doorbell rang.

"Did you invite Artie and Sam over?" asked Finn.

"No, not that I can recall. They always come over unannounced like this though."

Kurt walked over to the door and opened it, expecting to see his two best friends there. But what he saw left him standing in complete and utter disbelief.

There standing in front of him was a boy. A boy whose frame had grown so thin he might as well have been a skeleton. His right eye was swollen shut and he was covered in dirt. His dark mass of curls atop his head was a complete mess. If it wasn't for the leather satchel that Kurt had come to recognize so well, he might have disregarded the boy for someone else.

"Kurt? Who is it?" Finn yelled from the living room.

Before Kurt had time to respond, Blaine fell forward and fainted into his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

_**~Author's Note: I'm going away this summer for the whole month of July so depending on whether or not I can bring my laptop with me and how good the wifi is, it might be a while until I can put up another chapter. Sorry about that. Have a good summer. **_____

**~July 1940~**

**~BLAINE~**

Voices…there were so many voices. They were fading in and out. They sounded panicked and worried.

Why was everyone so worried all the time? Why couldn't they just be happy?

_Why does my head hurt? _Blaine thought.

_Why am I so tired? _

Blaine was thankful when sleep engulfed him once again.

**~KURT~**

Kurt was scared.

And it made him even more scared to see Blaine lying there, motionless. His body had become so thin and frail. It was also clear that he was severely malnourished. His skin looked like a thin blanket draped over a skeleton.

When Blaine had fallen into his arms that day that he had arrived at Kurt's front door, Kurt immediately started calling for help, yelling out to anyone in the house that would listen. Finn and Burt had carried Blaine to the spare bedroom while Carole ran to gather a cold washcloth and whatever else she would need to take care of Blaine. Her years spent working as a nurse certainly paid off.

But despite his families' best efforts, Blaine's breathing grew shallower every day. Nearly a week had passed since he arrived, yet he had not awoken, save for brief moments of consciousness that lasted a mere few seconds.

So here he was, spending the days of his summer vacation pressing a cold cloth to Blaine's forehead, wondering what he would say to the boy when he woke up.

_DING-DONG_

Kurt turned his head toward the sound of the doorbell and wondered who it could be.

Finn answered it.

"Sam! Artie! What have you both been up to?"

_Shit._

Neither Sam nor Artie knew the events of the previous week. Of course, they knew about Kurt's ongoing obsession with a boy named Blaine Anderson but they didn't knew exactly how far it had gone.

"Is Kurt home?" asked Artie.

"Yep. He's right over here."

Kurt looked around in a nervous panic, wondering if there was any possible way that he could hide Blaine….

_No, you stupid idiot. You can't just hide an unconscious body under a bed. _

Kurt sucked in his breath as the three boys walked into the room, already anticipating what was to come.

The look on Finn's face told Kurt that he realized his mistake.

Sam looked questioningly from Kurt, to Blaine, to Finn, and back to Blaine again.

"I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but what the hell is going on here?"

"It's complicated…" Finn started.

"No it's alright." Kurt knew it would be better if he explained the story himself rather then let his older brother defend him.

"What did you do? Are you in trouble with the police?". Artie always tended to be what you would call a "goody two-shoes". He usually played by the rules and never dared to defy or break them. So when he saw an unconscious body, his natural reaction was to begin ranting hysterically.

"This is serious business. What have you done? Did you kill him? Is he hurt? What is going to happen to us now? I'm hearing of all these stories of people being taken away. What if we end up being one of them? What if…."

"ARTIE."

No one in the room knew that someone with a voice as soft as Kurt's could yell so loudly.

"You know I love you, but would you please shut up and let me explain?"

Complete and utter silence followed.

"Okay so here's what happened….."

**~BLAINE~**

"….and then he just showed up at the front door last week. He was about to say something but then he just fainted."

_What's going on? _

_Where am I?_

_My head hurts so much…_

_Where's Cooper?_

Blaine was disorientated to say the least. He began listening to the ongoing conversation that was happening around him. Maybe he could find something out so as to give him a clue about his surroundings.

"So what are you going to do with him?"

"We can't just throw him out onto the street, Sam! I guess we'll keep him here until we figure something out."

"But you can't do that! That's illegal! I mean, as much as I'm against Hitler's cause and everything, there's always the possibility that you could get caught! What do you suppose you're going to do if that happens?"

"Look Artie, I don't really know what's going to happen. I'm not a genius like you. I don't have a plan."

"Uh Kurt, I think he's waking up…"

"Huh?"

Blaine slowly opened his eyes. The immediate exposure to the bright light pouring through the windows made him want to shut them again. It made his head pounded even more painfully than before.

Blaine realized that he was lying in a soft bed, covered in a soft sheet. The room he was in had a bookshelf, a desk, and a chest, most likely full of clothes or something of the like.

There were also four other people.

They were all staring at him in bewilderment as if he was some sort of zoo attraction that had been put on display. A sudden fear gripped Blaine as he realized that these people could possibly be here to take him away. He began pressing his back against the wall that the bed was set up against. This couldn't be happening, not now. He had to find a way to get back to Cooper and his father.

One of the boys must have sensed his apprehension because he stepped forward and said:

"I think it's time you guys leave."

One by one, they walked out the door until only the boy that had spoken was left. He closed the door and turned around to smile at Blaine.

It was only then that Blaine realized who it was.

_Kurt._

**~KURT~**

Kurt had to smile. There was Blaine, this painfully adorable seventeen-year-old boy looking like a cornered animal with his back up against the wall. His dark brown eyes were wide and staring at Kurt as though Kurt was an old friend whom he hadn't seen in years.

"Blaine I…."

"Where's my father and my brother? Where am I? I want to go back. I have to get back to them. I have to leave. Now."

Kurt watched Blaine get up off the bed or at least attempt to and ran forward to catch him when he nearly fell over.

"You can't just get up right away like that. You haven't walked at all or had anything to eat for a week straight." Kurt told him as he settled Blaine back onto the bed.

**~BLAINE~**

"I just want to…"

As Blaine trailed off he realized what had happened. Why he had left. Where he was. It all came back to him at once, like a floodgate had been opened inside his head.

Blaine became quiet as he realized that he was essentially homeless and the only reason that he was still alive was because of Kurt.

"I know you want to see your family again, but you can't go back right now. You'll get caught. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be safe for a little while. My father can try to find them and bring them here, but first you have to get some rest."

"Okay….but I…."

"Not buts. Just try and fall asleep and when you wake up I'll bring you some food. The best thing for you right now is rest."

Reluctantly, Blaine agreed.

"Alright"

He settled back onto the pillows and closed his eyes.

The last thing he felt before he fell asleep was the touch of a pair of lips pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

_**Author's Note: I would write more, but I'm tired and I need more time to create an exact storyline for the following events in the next chapter. It is also 1:10am. I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter. I might be able to get another one in before I leave for the summer, but if not hang in there. I'll be back soon. Have a good summer and happy reading **_____


	9. Chapter 9

_****Author's Note: So I've decided that in this chapter and in the few that follow, I'll be doing a general point of view. It's going to be hard to do a point of view specifically for Blaine and one for Kurt especially because they will be together quite a bit for the next little while. This is also just another short filler chapter. Have fun reading!****_

**~July 1940~ **

"Stop eating so fast or else you'll make yourself sick."

Blaine paused to look up at Kurt who was sitting on a chair next to the foot of the bed. Kurt looked at him with eyes full of concern and continued on.

"You know you're more than welcome to stay here, but I'd rather you not fall ill."

"I..uh….sorry."

Kurt giggled at him. When he did that, Blaine couldn't help but smile. Kurt's laugh, the sound of his voice, his everything never failed to make Blaine just that much more happier.

Day by day Blaine was slowly regaining his strength. Due to the kindness of Kurt's family, Blaine was fed full meals everyday and not the scraps of moldy bread that he had grown used to in the ghetto. Carole would come in everyday and brood over Blaine like he was her own son. It was quite adorable actually and comforted Blaine slightly by filling the hole in his heart that his mother had left when she disappeared. Blaine's father and his brother Cooper were still living in the ghetto where Blaine had left them, or so he assumed. Kurt reassured him everyday that once Blaine had fully regained his health, he would recruit the help of his father, Burt, and they would go looking for them.

But for now, Blaine was restricted to the boundaries of the Hummel-Hudson residence. It was nearly impossible for him to go outside for fear that someone would recognize him, but Blaine didn't mind. Burt, Carole, Finn, and Kurt all accepted him and treated him as if they had all known him for years. Finn had become like a second older brother to Blaine. He would always come into the spare room that Blaine was resting in and update him on news of the outside world. Their conversations usually consisted of sports and the latest trends of the automotive industry, but Blaine was always more than happy to spend time with him.

Burt played the part of the protective yet loving father, different from Blaine's real father. Like Finn, Burt had quite the passion for sports and cars and it entertained Blaine to see him get so excited about something he was so passionate about.

And then there was Carole. Carole who was always smiling and laughing. It was Carole who had supplied Blaine with ample amounts of food and medicine, making sure that he got the proper care and nourishment that he needed. She was a headstrong woman that didn't give much thought to what other people thought about her and was very caring to those that were close to her. Blaine loved that about her.

And Kurt. Kurt who had become his very best friend and the one that he usually spent the most time with. It was Kurt who he felt the most comfortable with. Kurt spend the majority of his time with Blaine usually talking about every existing subject and keeping Blaine occupied with card games, books, and records from Kurt's small collection.

Blaine didn't know what to call the funny feeling that he got in his stomach whenever Kurt came near. He didn't have a name or an explanation for the way his heart pounded whenever he saw the blond-haired boy's face. He didn't know what he was feeling; yet he treasured and savored every moment of it.

"Blaine? Are you okay?"

Blaine shook himself from his own thoughts.

"Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about something."

Kurt smiled. Blaine loved Kurt's smile. "Sam and Artie are going to be here this afternoon. Maybe you'd like to come downstairs and meet them?"

"Um I don't know about that."

"If you're afraid that they're going to tell somebody that you're here, than you needn't worry. They're my closest friends and I would trust them with my life."

Despite his doubts, Blaine couldn't deny the fact that his curiosity had grown. He was constantly wondering who those other two boys were that had been present in the room when he woke up. Kurt had told him about them, but Blaine wanted to meet them for himself.

"That sounds fine then. I'd love to meet them."

"Maybe you should get changed first."

Blaine looked down at what he was wearing and realized that he was still in the clothes that he had worn when he left the ghetto. He carried an unpleasant stench as well.

"Well then, I think a bath and a change of clothes are in order."

"That would be much appreciated." Blaine responded.

_****About an hour later****_

This had to be one of the most amazing things that had happened to Blaine since he met Kurt. This bottle of hair gel that he was now holding suddenly seemed like the most valuable possession that he could possibly have owned. Glancing at his reflection in the mirror once more, Blaine finally felt satisfied with his slicked back hairstyle, not a strand out of place. Out of everything that the Hummel family had done for him, this was one of the things for which Blaine was most grateful.

All of a sudden, Blaine heard knocking at the door and a moment later loud happy voices sounded from the first floor. Blaine swallowed his nervousness and headed downstairs.

Kurt heard footsteps and turned around and saw Blaine standing at the bottom of the stairs. He smiled at him, beckoning him forward.

"This is Sam and this is Artie. Boys, this is Blaine. The one that I've been, uhh, writing to."

For a moment there was a horribly awkward silence that hung in the air and Kurt almost felt that this was not such a great idea after all.

But then Sam spoke.

"Well it's nice to meet you, after all this time." said Sam, while he held out his hand to shake.

Blaine accepted, grateful that Sam seemed to be a kind and open hearted person.

"It's nice to finally meet the person that Kurt has had a crush on for so long." said Artie jokingly. For a split second, Kurt felt mortified and embarrassed that Artie would say something like that in front of Blaine until both boys burst out into laughter.

Maybe they could all get along after all.


End file.
